Stories And Society: Children's Literature In Its Social Context (insights)

Annotation Children's literature is increasingly exposed to critical debate in England and America. There are indeed a number of histories and surveys of children's literature, but few works exist which discuss the contexts, ideologies and narrative structures of children's stories in a serious and detailed manner, or examine particular case-histories to see how the different forces interact. This is what this collection of essays attempts to do. The topics range from Little Women to Winnie the Pooh and from story forms such as 'The Adventure Story' to 'Fantasy' Children's Literature Is Increasingly Exposed To Critical Debate In England And America, Not Only Among Teachers And Librarians, But Also Among Students Training To Teach, A Growing Number Of Students Of Literature Who Regard Children's Books As Part Of The Same Tradition, And, More Recently, Among Students Of Popular Culture. Though There Are A Number Of Histories And Surveys Of Children's Literature, And Many Monographs On Individual Authors, Some Of Which Seek To Relate Their Material To Its Social Background, Few Works Exist Which Discuss The Contexts, Ideologies And Narrative Structures Of Children's Stories In A Serious And Detailed Manner, Or Examine Particular Case Histories To See How The Different Forces Interact. This Is What This Collection Of Essays Attempts To Do. The Topics Range From Little Women To Winnie-the-pooh And From Story Forms Such As The Adventure Story To Fantasy. The School Story / Jeffrey Richards -- Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War : Paranoia And Paradox / Perry Nodelman -- Home And Family : English And American Ideals In The Nineteenth Century / Gillian Avery -- 'the Most Beautiful Things In All The World'? Families In Little Women / Elizabeth Lennox Keyser -- The Adventure Story / Dennis Butts -- Social Class And Educational Adventures : Jan Needle And The Biography Of A Value / Fred Inglis -- Fantasy / C.w. Sullivan Iii -- Winnie-the-pooh And Domestic Fantasy / Peter Hunt -- The Dorothys Of Oz : A Heroine's Unmaking / Mark I. West. Edited By Dennis Butts. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xvi The School Story....Pages 1-21 Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War: Paranoia and Paradox....Pages 22-36 Home and Family: English and American Ideals in the Nineteenth Century....Pages 37-49 ‘The Most Beautiful Things in All the World’? Families in Little Women....Pages 50-64 The Adventure Story....Pages 65-83 Social Class and Educational Adventures: Jan Needle and the Biography of a Value....Pages 84-96 Fantasy....Pages 97-111 Winnie-the-Pooh and Domestic Fantasy....Pages 112-124 The Dorothys of Oz: A Heroine’s Unmaking....Pages 125-131 Back Matter....Pages 132-143 Children's literature came into existence in printed form in the 18th century. This book charts its development by examining concurrent developments in society such as the spread of education, the developments in printing techniques and changes in the definition of childhood.